RI, Aussie artists to stage 'Sawung Galing' legend<\/p>\n
Sri Wahyuni, The Jakarta Post\/Yogyakarta<\/p>\n
A joint theater production, Kembalinya Legenda Sawung Galing (The
\nSawung Galing legend returns), involving noted Indonesian
\nmusician cum composer Sawung Jabo as the music director and
\nAustralian artistic director and playwright Don Mamouney, will be
\nperformed this month in the five major Javanese cities of
\nYogyakarta, Surabaya, Jakarta, Surakarta and Bandung.<\/p>\n
The musical drama was organized by the Sydney-based Australian
\nSidetrack Performance Group, founded by Mamouney, Wot Cross-
\nCultural Synergy, an Australian non-governmental organization
\npromoting cross-cultural relations between Indonesia and
\nAustralia, and Jabo, with the support of governmental
\ninstitutions of both countries and local sponsors.<\/p>\n
The debut performance will be held in Yogyakarta on Saturday,
\nSept. 4, in Nitiprayan village, Kasihan subdistrict, Bantul
\nregency, which has hosted the play's nine-week rehearsal. It will
\nbe performed as part of the village's annual cultural festival,
\nKenduri Seni Desa, which runs this year from Sept. 4 to Sept. 5.<\/p>\n
Speaking at a press conference earlier this week, Mamouney,
\nwho has traveled to Indonesia three times, said the work was a
\nrealization of his four-year dream of making a work set in
\nIndonesia for people who did not normally attend theater
\nperformances.<\/p>\n
In light of this aim, admission to the play is free in all
\nfive cities.<\/p>\n
\"The reason is ideological. I want to be involved in a work
\nthat creates a people-to-people relationship. It's very important
\nto me that we are able to perform in order to be taught. It's
\nindeed an interesting phenomenon that theater learns from the
\naudience,\" said Mamouney, that it was time for theater to learn
\nand to gain strength from the community.<\/p>\n
In recent years, according to Mamouney, theater had been
\novershadowed by television programs, and was increasingly
\nbecoming an artistic genre for the rich.<\/p>\n
As someone passionate about theater, Mamouney believes that it
\nis through those who normally do not watch theatrical
\nperformances that theater will be renewed; and that theater will
\ndraw strength from this fresh, new audience.<\/p>\n
\"I see this as an opportunity to work with the community and
\nplay a role in the renewal of the theater world,\" said Mamouney,
\na graduate of Sydney's Ensemble Theater School and London's Mount
\nView Theater College. He had thus worried that even a small
\nadmission fee would deter local people from coming to the
\nperformance and so prevent him from learning something from a
\nmass audience.<\/p>\n
Featuring the talents of 12 Indonesian performers and five
\nmusicians -- including Jabo -- the performance runs two hours and
\n25 minutes and is adapted freely from the Sawung Galing legend of
\nEast Java. The legend is of a young heroic boy called Joko Beruk
\nand a black, supernatural rooster called Sawung Galing.<\/p>\n
In Mamouney's adaptation, the names of the story's original
\nsetting and of some of the supporting characters have been
\nchanged to set the legend in contemporary times. For example, the
\nnames of the kings and their realms have been changed to King
\nBoom Boom and King Bang Bang of the warring countries of Fazzar
\nand Crazzar, respectively.<\/p>\n
What is also interesting is that the protagonist Udawa, who is
\na boy in the original legend, has been changed to Udawi, a girl.<\/p>\n
\"It's simply to acknowledge that women play an important role
\nin today's politics and leadership,\" said the Victoria-born
\nMamouney, but declined to say whether the play particularly
\nreflected upon the Indonesian or global leadership.<\/p>\n
Although the play was adapted from an Indonesian legend,
\nMamouney does not think it is unique and specific to Indonesia.
\nHe has thus adapted it in its retelling as a universal story,
\nwith its major theme about the lack of leadership in the world
\ntoday. Therefore, it is not about America, England, Australia or
\nAfrica, nor is it specifically about Indonesia.<\/p>\n
\"My hope is the play, which starts (its tour) in Nitiprayan,
\nwill eventually find its way into international festival
\ncircuits,\" he said. Mamouney also intends to take Sawung Galing
\nto Australia, if financial support was available.<\/p>\n
\"I do think it has the potential not just to go to Australia,
\nbut also to other places in Asia and Europe. I hope that through
\nthe play, we can build a bridge -- not only between the two
\ncountries, but also between the Indonesian and Australian theater
\ncommunities and those of other countries,\" he said.<\/p>\n
He hoped doing so would not only expand the scope of theater,
\nbut also develop a close understanding between peoples, undermine
\nstereotypes and expose the vulnerability of leadership.<\/p>\n
Mamouney said although the play carried a serious message, it
\nwas also rich in humor and comedy and enjoyable for everyone, as
\nit grew out of an interactive experience with performers and
\nlocal villagers watching rehearsals -- and because the original
\nstory was told through traditional performing arts, which was the
\nmain form of community entertainment in the past.<\/p>\n
For Mamouney, who has been working in theater for about 30
\nyears and has performed across the world, including in the U.S.,
\nCanada, England and several Asian countries, the debut
\nperformance in Nitiprayan would be considerably special compared
\nto the other performances, particularly because it would be
\nperformed in a rice field in the village.<\/p>\n
State Minister of Culture and Tourism I Gede Ardika and
\nAustralian Ambassador to Indonesia David Ritchie are scheduled to
\nattend the performance in Nitiprayan.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/ri-aussie-artists-to-stage-sawung-galing-legend-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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